The man who attempted to shoot former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner in the face at point-blank range said in his murder trial on Wednesday that the failed assassination attempt was an “act of justice” for the “good of society.”
“Kirchner is corrupt, she steals and harms society,” said Fernando Sabag Montiel, 37, whose gun misfired on September 1, 2022, after he pointed it at the then-vice president’s face and pulled the trigger twice.
On Wednesday, the unrepentant Sabag Montiel was put on trial for attempted murder following the botched shooting of the politician who has been a central figure in Argentina for two decades.
“The idea was to kill Cristina,” he said, calmly describing his motivation as personal, not political.
Sabag Montiel appeared in court with his then girlfriend Brenda Uliarte (25). She is accused of co-conspiracy and is said to have incited the attack in text messages.
A third suspect, 29-year-old Nicolas Carrizo, is a friend of the couple who is accused of being an accomplice.
The indictment was read out in court. It referred to messages that contained clear indications of the murder plan against Kirchner.
Sabag Montiel, who has worked odd jobs such as driving a rideshare and has tattoos with neo-Nazi symbols, wrote to Uliarte: “I’m going to go to Cristina’s house with the gun and shoot her.”
After the attack, Carrizo boasted that Sabag Montiel was “just one second away from being a national hero.”
“They were fully aware of their actions and the possible consequences,” the indictment states.
– Kirchner to testify –
More than 270 witnesses are expected to be called, including 71-year-old Kirchner. According to Kirchner’s lawyer Marcos Aldazabal, the trial is expected to last “between six months and a year.”
The attempted assassination, captured on video, occurred as Kirchner mingled with the crowd that had gathered outside her home to show their support in the trial against her fraud.
The dramatic incident led to worldwide condemnation; Pope Francis called Kirchner a few hours after the attack.
Kirchner suspected a larger political conspiracy that had been privately financed by her opponents, but the investigating judge did not follow up on some of the clues that she wanted to investigate.
“The entire investigation was characterized by the avoidance of the truth,” Kirchner said in a statement after the conclusion of the proceedings.
Three months after the attack, Kirchner was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption. She said the trial was a political witch hunt. She has appealed the verdict.
Kirchner rose to prominence as part of the ultimate political power couple; she and her late husband Nestor Kirchner served a total of 12 years in the Casa Rosada, the pink presidential palace.
She served as vice president from 2019 to 2023 and remains a vocal opponent of President Javier Milei.
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